SXSW 2021 launches March 16th and even though this year may be all virtual it doesn’t take away from all the great films, and your ability to see them all. For information on how to see the films and attend all of the amazing sessions, exhibitions, and networking be sure to check out sxsw.com
Here is a list – and it just scratches the surface – of some of the films premiering at this years fest!
POTATO DREAMS OF AMERICA – WORLD PREMIERE SCREENING:
Tuesday, March 16, 2021 @10AM PT / 12PM CT / 1PM ET – Wes Hurley’s autobiographical dark comedy about a gay boy growing up in the collapsing USSR, his courageous mail-order bride mother and their adventurous escape to Seattle in the 90s. Full of unexpected twists, the film is an immigrant’s take on the American Dream and the power of cinema, proving that life is often stranger than fiction.
LUCHADORAS – World premiere at SXSW 2021 Online running March 16th – 20th – A brave, bold and visually arresting look into the lives of 3 strong, independent women, fighting for opportunities as athletic performers against an increasingly violent, misogynistic and dangerous cultural landscape, the outstanding documentary LUCHADORAS will have it’s World premiere in the Global cinema section of SXSW Online 2021, running virtually from March 16-20th. The film will be accessible to audiences starting March 16th, with screening details to be found at http://www.sxsw.com
THE THING THAT ATE THE BIRDS – “Midnight Shorts” premiere on March 16th at 8pm CT / 6pm PST – Set on the North Yorkshire Moors, the film follows Abel, the Head Gamekeeper as he discovers the thing that is eating his grouse. His blunt and violent response brings the menace back home shattering his already crumbling relationship with his wife.
KID CANDIDATE – “Documentary Feature Competition” premiere on March 16th at 10am CT / 8am PST – It tells the story of Hayden Pedigo, a 24-year-old artist and experimental musician in Amarillo, Texas as he makes an unorthodox run for city council. As he rapidly grows from a neophyte to a legitimate candidate, we see the ways that big money politics keep youth and minority candidates from participating in American government. By the time Hayden reaches election night, he has faced the crushing baggage of his own religious upbringing, a political system rigged to favor one of the wealthiest families in America, and the social pressure brought to bear against anyone who dares to change the system.
POLY STYRENE: I AM A CLICHE’ – US Premiere // SXSW Film Festival // March 16th 2021 – Poly Styrene was the first woman of colour in the UK to front a successful rock band. She introduced the world to a new sound of rebellion, using her unconventional voice to sing about identity, consumerism, postmodernism and everything she saw unfolding in late 1970s Britain with a rare prescience. As the frontwoman of X-Ray Spex, the Anglo-Somali punk musician was also a key inspiration for the Riot grrrl and Afropunk movements. But the late punk maverick didn’t just leave behind an immense cultural footprint. She was survived by a daughter, Celeste Bell, who became the unwitting guardian of her mother’s legacy and her mother’s demons. Misogyny, racism, and mental illness plagued Poly’s life, while their lasting trauma scarred Celeste’s childhood and the pair’s relationship. Featuring unseen archive material and rare diary entries narrated by Oscar nominee Ruth Negga, this documentary follows Celeste as she examines her mother’s unopened artistic archive and traverses three continents to better understand Poly the icon and Poly the mother.
THE SPINE OF NIGHT – Thursday, March 18 at 8:00pm CST – This epic begins many years ago when an ambitious young man steals forbidden knowledge from a sacred plant and, as he falls to its darker temptations, unleashes ages of suffering onto mankind. As his power grows over the years, there are many who stand against him. Among them are a daring tomb-robber, star-crossed lovers, a maniacal necromancer, winged assassins, and an undying guardian.
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